The Dyson DC49 is the company's smallest vacuum cleaner yet. But the ball technology and powerful digital motor mean it punches well above its weight

Dyson's latest multi-room vacuum cleaner is going with the idiom that good things come in small packages. The Dyson DC49, is the British brand's smallest, quietest and lightest cleaner to date. It's 30 per cent smaller than its predecessor, the Dyson DC47 and weighs only 2.7kg.

It's been designed for living quarters where space is a premium. As such, the DC49 will undoubtedly find favour with the thousands of people (this reviewer included) living in tiny flats packed into city neighbourhoods across the country.

Dyson hasn't skimped on the technology and the DC49 uses the same electric motor found in the Dyson Airblade hand dryers as well as carbon fibre filaments and nylon brushes. So, how does it stack up in the real world? T3.com has been busy cleaning for the last few days to find out.

Dyson DC49: Design

Dyson pretty much has the vacuum cleaner market cornered when it comes to design, and the DC49 is instantly recognisable as part of the family. The silver body bulges with the company's innovative ball technology and the part-clear/part-coloured dust bin sits happily up front.

Everything is curved and compact – ensuing there are no jutting corners or odd angles to catch on a rogue piece of furniture. The maker has includes its ball technology in cylinder cleaners since the Dyson DC39 last year, and the result is better steering and a tighter turning circle – very useful for small dwellings.

Then, of course, there's the size to take into account. If you remove the hose, the body has the footprint only slightly larger than a sheet of A4 paper. It's light, at 2.7kg, and the curved handle on top means it's easy to pick up and carry around.

Dyson DC59: Features

Like previous models, Dyson's ball technology gives this cleaner an edge over some of the competition. The ball houses the 1050W electric motor and also provides a responsive, articulated steering system thanks to the low centre of gravity. In practical terms, it's much easier to skirt round a coffee table or along hallways than it would be with a conventional wheeled vacuum.

The turbine head and floortools have been re-engineered to pick up more dirt and to do it quieter than previous cleaners. Dyson has built in a dust capture channel that prevents dirt escaping back towards the floor while the contours of the airwaves have been simplified to decrease the noise level.

There are two removable filters that require washing once a month and both can be easily unlocked and re-inserted into the body of the DC49. An auto-coil button will reel the power cable back into the body when needed.

As mentioned earlier, the brushes are made from nylon for improved pick-up both on hard floors and carpets. Dyson has thrown in plenty of extra floortools into the box for dispatching cobwebs by the ceiling or excess particles along the skirting board.

Dyson DC49: Performance

Five minutes with the Dyson DC49 proved to us two things. Firstly, despite the smaller size there was a great deal of power on board. And secondly, the carpet was a lot dirtier than we ever truly realised.

Despite the design upgrades, the V4 electric motor is still noisy (especially in a small room) and kicks out a fair bit of heat. But, at the same time, it's extremely thorough and picked smaller specs of dirt that previous cleaners had passed right over. The result was a visible improvement on the carpet.

The size isn't without its compromises as the smaller dust bin will now only hold 0.5 litres. That, in turn, means more frequent emptying via the quick-release dump button. However, while this is obviously an issue if you're cleaning a large property, it isn't a big deal considering the DC49's target market of small, one or two bedroom flats.

It's also worth pointing out that when compared to the body, the hose is massive. This isn't a problem while cleaning as it gives you extra reach, but can make storage a bit interesting. Both attaching and detaching is extremely simple and the ease of setting up and adjusting the cleaner is one of the DC49's strengths.

Dyson DC49: Verdict

If you're looking for a new cleaner and there's a shortage of space at your humble abode, then the Dyson DC49 makes a lot of sense. Performance is far superior to any other vacuum with these dimensions, and storage isn't likely to be a problem.

That said - the £349.99 price tag certainly makes this an investment. We can't see students picking this up for their single dorm room, for example. Instead, this will hit the right chord for professionals renting small flats and houses in the city – who want a clean living environment with the minimum of fuss.

There's no doubting Dyson's track record with these cleaners and the DC49 is another great example of downsizing tech without compromising on power. It's not like cleaning the house is ever a fun task; but at least one of these will get the job done right.